Our History

Bob and Shirley Sawyer established Sawyer Nursery in 1956 in Hudsonville, Michigan, initially as a supplementary family income through a side-business venture. During its early years, the nursery specialized in cultivating perennial plants to supply local markets, plant brokers, and larger nurseries in the vicinity.

As their commitment to quality gained recognition, Sawyer Nursery expanded its operations to include wholesaling to prominent big-box retail chains. In 1974, the Sawyer family acquired 90 acres of land, which now constitutes the nucleus of the nursery's present location. Over the years, the company acquired additional acreage in tandem with its business growth. This expansion was further amplified by the establishment of a subsidiary facility in Leesburg, AL, in response to the burgeoning markets. In total, Sawyer Nursery now commands a substantial operational footprint spanning approximately 300 acres across the two states.

In 2014, Tom Kowieski, in partnership with a colleague, assumed ownership of the nursery from the Sawyer family, with Tom subsequently becoming the sole proprietor.

The company takes immense pride in its diverse workforce and actively cultivates a culture of mutual respect and recognition for all staff members, whether permanent or seasonal. The nursery boasts a cohort of devoted employees with several decades of dedicated service alongside a group of promising young talents being groomed for the future.

At present, Sawyer Nursery annually dispatches an impressive 5.5 million plants to nearly 1,000 retail outlets throughout the Midwest region.